Travels 221: Youthfulness at sea to bursting sunset, the Tukuran jaunt

One of the best subjects of photography are ordinary people, much more, children who loved their mundane world, where a day spent on the sea and by the boat, as long as it is spent with friends and neighbours evoke memories so strong. I felt it when I saw children paddling a Bangka towards me asking for me to take a photo when they saw me standing over a concrete installation intended to catch sands from the seas.

Just standing on the concrete structure, I felt amazed at how the horizon is widely captured through my eyes and how I felt looking at them. I was partially interrupted when children were waving at me asking me to take a good photograph of them in their happiest moments together.

Tukuran beach is not white sand but black, it is not high-end but affordable! I was staying at the LGU Beach Resort where the shore fronting the resort is farthest and when in a low tide, the shore is far. It is where most residents of Pagadian City swim on weekends. It is the same beach where mostly, family reunions, class parties and other activities are usually held.

Prodding myself to pursue a sunset photowalk, I came back to the beachfront of the LGU Beach Resort at 30 minutes past 5:00PM and was able to capture the most romantic sunset by the sea. I have captured something of a bursting celebration on the capping a heavy and tiresome day.

I have just also noticed that sunsets are different with sunrise when you took it from the vantage point of a sea level. Sunsets are characterized with bursting clouds heading through where the sunsets and the sky is slowly becomes clearer. The waves noticeably are stronger, more disorganized and not tranquil during sunsets. I have just observed it and I may be wrong but as what I saw at the photos I took, sunsets and sunrises are two different events and phenomena that is hard to distinguished on photo unless one is a professional not a novice like me.

At the end of the day, I was captivated at what I saw combined. The youthfulness at sea to the greatest and most calm sunset. As it was observed, we have had focused too much on ourselves and what we do that we stop at what nature can also do. Day in and day out, sunsets remind us of our vulnerability while sunrises promises us agility, vitality and hope.

Travels 220: Fuerte de Alfonso XIII, The Tukuran heritage

One of the earliest imprints of Spaniards in Mindanao are mostly felt in forts and courtyards, among them is the still-standing Fort Militar, originally named Fuerte de Alfonso XIII. It stands as a garrison, watchtower, infirmary, and stockage which originally cover an expanse of more than 100 hectares overlooking both Yllana Bay and the Tukuran River.

I am first fascinated with the idea of this fort when chancing upon tourism clips and photographs years ago. Now was just the right time since a teambuilding require me to stay overnight in Tukuran. Whiling away time, I would rather check the sites myself and learn about its history and origins.

There are three existing structures in the Fuerte de Alfonso XIII. One is the garrison that faced the Tukuran River in barangay Militar in the Municipality of Tukuran. Accessing it is easy because it is very near the national highway connecting the municipality to Sultan Naga Dimaporo en route to Cotabato City. The second structure is located in Sitio Bomba, overlooking Yllana Bay.

Because it is a trade route histories back, many merchants pass by Tukuran from Yllana Bay up to Pangil Bay which connects Tukuran to the greater Misamis where another Spanish colony is thriving. As a result, Iranun pirates usually attack the locale coming from Yllana Bay thus the reason why the one in Militar has cannon fodder while in Sitio Bomba does not have one.

The route from Tukuran to Misamis is very important to the Spaniards that they name it Trocha de Tukuran a Misamis, one that values so much to Spain since traders freely come and go.

The unfortunate state of the fort is fast becoming footnote to history. It was not given full attention both by the National government through respective agencies like NHI, the National Museum or the National Parks Development Authority and even the Department of Tourism who just perfunctorily featured the fort in one of the destinations to Zamboanga del Sur, and particularly in Tukuran.

The one in Sitio Bomba was already scavenged for gold treasures and already, the structure was dug up and left to rot. The one in Barangay Militar is also not being protected whereby the structure is surrounded by houses and residents. It has already been shun of its historic importance and perhaps, its place in modern society.

If one wishes to reconnect to the past, one must go through the challenges of piecing together what remains at the present. This is my reconnection to what has been in 1888 until its completion in 1890 when it was all glorious and failure to protect residents from marauders is an ignoble duty of a soldier. These structures stand as a testament of how elaborate forts are made by Spaniards and how efficient their communication is at those times where mobile phones and even simpler communication gadgets are not available at their disposal.

Fuerte Alfonso XIII is one great foundation of what is present Tukuran which means to “construct” from the root-word of “Tukud”. It’s rich historical significance and legacy by both the Iranun’s attempt to take on the fortress in Ozamis through attacking the traders in the Trocha de Rukuran a Misamis and finally, through the ingenious efforts of the Spaniards to repel them. In both events, they formed part of how the history of Tukuran has on the greater part of the Spanish hold in the island of Mindanao.

How to get there: By public transport from Pagadian City, Tukuran may be reached by a jeepney which is around 30 minutes. From the poblacion, one can take a tricycle for Php 10.00 to get to these sites.

 

Travels 218: Natural perfection, Tukuran’s reassuring sunrise

Over the weekend, I went to Tukuran and spent overnight at the LGU Beach Resort (we paid 450php for a 5-double decked room good for 10 pax). While at the resort, I took the chance to see the beachfront, taking in what nature has to offer, cool sea breeze and the capturing beauty of the sea. Tukuran is one of the coastal municipalities of Zamboanga del Sur. Their beach is not of white sand but black ones. Nonetheless, it is a perfect weekend recharging station for a weary soul.

Waking up at 5.30 in the morning, I took Travey for a spin and took the best sunrise photo I had taken for my life being a photography enthusiast. For someone who had not formal schooling in photography, not even a crash course on it equipped me but I trusted my instincts and the blessings I received through which my lens speak of what beauty has to seen by many through which I also see them.

The early morning photowalk for me is one that reaps me experience that can last for a lifetime. Tukuran is 45 minutes away from Pagadian City and the first municipality that welcomes visitors from Cotabato City, it speaks well of its rich culture even from the time of the Spaniards.

The sunrise photowalk also gave me the best opportunity to commune with nature, talk to God, share my passion for travel blogging, and photography to the Father who moulded me after Himself and such gift is one that I hope can give you the inspiration you so seek.

When seeing the sunrise, I am reassured that our lives are made up of so many sunrises, those which we missed and those which we enjoyed spending. Every sunrise indeed can bring in renewed hope, faith and trust on the convincing power of nature, its immense beauty and its manifold embrace.  The sunrise that I captured remains brightly and warmly within my heart, that those that I write gives meaning to an ordinary Sunday morning because I found beauty, inspiration and acceptance as the sun shone!